17 Revenge
by ARtheBard
Summary: Hotch, Straus and Rossi go missing. The team must figure out where they are and why they are missing before final vengance is enacted on the trio.
1. Chapter 1

**This starts up about a month after Emily gets back to work. They've just solved their third team case all while Emily and JJ secretly juggle their studies as they prepare for Emily's chance at carrying a child. Enjoy!**

**Oh, and since I finally looked back and did the math, at some point Henry will turn 1 since in my universe he had to be a February baby. :o)**

* * *

Emily stares at the question in frustration. "I tell the idiot that no comment means no comment so get the mike out of my face before I shove it down your throat," she mumbles.

JJ looks up from where she is studying profiles of serial rapists. She chuckles. "Ten bucks says that's not the right answer."

Emily glares at her. "It's just all so dumb! I mean, really, 'How do you politely reiterate no comment?' Why the hell would I politely reiterate it? Seriously!"

JJ bites her lip. "I'm beginning to think this isn't such a good idea after all. I'm not sure we should unleash you on the media."

"Oh, hush up," Emily mutters and starts to write out her real answer.

Emily had been back to work for less than a month. They had managed to solve two cases out of town before this one. The whole team was tired and verging on cranky. Add in the courses these two were taking and they were starting to get snippy with each other for reasons only Hotch understood.

JJ watches her wife a moment then goes back to work. Her studies were going to take longer than Emily's but the three weeks they had been working on their job swap plan had already been a lesson in patience. As they sit in their hotel room after another successful case JJ wonders if Emily being a media liaison could actually be the worst thing for the team. JJ glances up at her wife.

"Emily? Are you sure you want to do this? I mean…you hate talking to the media," JJ points out.

Emily looks up at her wife and sighs. "Yes. No. I don't know." She flops back on the bed. "Jen, I hate talking to the media. But if it means keeping the team together, keeping us together, then I just have to suck it up and deal. I'm sorry I'm such a grumpy student."

JJ smiles. "I'll just blame the hormones."

"I'm not taking hormones. I'm doing it the mild natural way, remember? At least this time," Emily reminds her.

JJ chuckles. "I know, babe. I was kidding. Geez, your sense of humor sucks when you study. You must have been a laugh riot at Yale."

Emily slowly looks up and glares at JJ. JJ bites back a laugh and goes back to her own studies. Emily stares at her a moment then stands.

"I need a drink."

JJ looks up swiftly. "You're going to drink while studying?" She says disapprovingly.

"Oh, good grief! You are such a goody-goody sometimes!" Emily says with irritation. "I meant a fucking soda. Or is that not acceptable either?"

JJ rolls her eyes. "Oh for fuck's sake, go get an attitude adjustment while you're at it," she replies with equal irritation.

"FINE! I think I will!" Emily stabs her feet into her sneakers and grabs a hand towel. Already in sweats and a tee she decides she better go work off some aggression before she says something to her wife she might regret. She stomps towards the door and rips it open. She is nearly into the hall when she stops. She takes a deep breath and turns around. "Jen?"

"What?" JJ growls.

"I love you."

JJ looks up and manages a smile. "I love you, too."

Emily nods and lets the door close behind her. JJ shakes her head. They had sworn they would never leave without saying they loved each other, no matter how angry they are. JJ was glad Emily had remembered…because the blonde had forgotten.

"Jen, don't let this plan ruin your marriage. It's just not worth it," she counsels herself.

Down in the workout room, Emily sets the treadmill on a high setting and starts off in a jog. As she runs, she lets her mind wander. When they get back to Virginia the next day she is heading straight to the doctor's office for egg retrieval. Had the case not been solved she would have missed her chance this month. She knows that's part of her frustration. What if they get snowed in? What if the flight gets delayed? What if there's a car accident and she can't get to the office in time?

_"So many fucking what if's," _Emily thinks_. "What if it doesn't work? What if we do it several times and it just doesn't work? What if the doctor was wrong and there's a problem in me from the abortion? What if—"_

"EMILY!"

Emily jumps as she realizes Morgan is standing beside her. She pauses the treadmill. "What?"

He looks at her with concern. "Emily, you're crying. Are you okay?"

Emily raises a hand to her cheek. She'd had no idea. "Oh." She leans forward onto the command pad of the treadmill. "Morgan…Derek, can I tell you a secret? And I mean really a secret. Not even Garcia can know."

He nods. "Yes, Em. Anything."

She stares at her clenched hands. "Tomorrow I go to a fertility clinic to get my eggs harvested. We're going to try to have another baby." She looks up at him. "I'm going to carry it we hope."

A 1000-watt smile lights up his face. "Emily! That's awesome! I'm so happy for you!"

She smiles. "Thanks. But suddenly I'm scared shitless. I'm snapping at Jen. I'm screwing up my studies. It's just getting to me, I guess."

He frowns. "Studies? What studies?"

She blushes and sighs. Only Hotch knew about the job plan. "Well, if I get pregnant I can't exactly be out in the field on cases. So, Jen came up with this plan for us to cross-train our jobs so the team doesn't have to break up. She's taking the profilers courses and I'm doing the media liaison training. And can I just tell you, there is some stupid stuff they want liaison's to learn."

Morgan chuckles. "I'll bet. I'm really happy for you, Em. For both of you. So, um, who's going to be the daddy?"

Emily winces and grins at the same time. "You're going to think we're insane."

Morgan chuckles. "Already think that. So who?"

"Mark."

Morgan's eyes get wider than Emily would have thought possible. "WHAT? Really?"

Emily nods. "When Jen mentioned it to her family at New Years, Mark and Shelby went home and discussed it. They offered before we even thought to consider the father. They have Abby and with another little one on the way their family is set. They want Jen and I to be as happy as they are."

"Is Mark going to be a father figure to your kid, too?" Morgan asks.

"Nope, he'll be an uncle and only an uncle. There'll be some legal stuff but I'll let my attorney's deal with that," Emily says with a smile. She stares at her best friend a minute. "You do know you'll be the godfather, right?"

Morgan smiles and nods. "I know. I can't wait."

Emily stares at her hands again. "Derek…I'm terrified," she admits softly.

He steps up and pulls her into a hug. "Emily, you are already a fantastic mother. I can only imagine that will be enhanced by more kids in the Prentiss home. And if you need anything, at any time, you call me. I'm here for you. Okay?"

Emily nods. "Thanks, Derek. I know."

"And if it's a boy and you want to name him after me, I have no problem with that," he adds with a wink.

Emily chuckles. "My kid should be so lucky."

Derek nods and gets on the treadmill beside Emily. She starts hers up again as he gets going on his. Together they run, each of them wondering what the next child to join the team will look like.


	2. Chapter 2

When Emily gets to work the next morning she heads straight to JJ's office. She closes the door as she enters. JJ stands and moves to her.

"All okay?"

Emily nods. "Yeah. I just…needed to see you."

JJ can see the fear in Emily's eyes. She pulls her close. "It's okay to be scared, Emily. God, I wish I could have skipped that damn meeting this morning."

Emily runs her hands over JJ's back, drawing strength from the petite blonde. "Babe, I don't think it would help your career to skip a meeting with Director Ryder. Not even with the Prentiss family connections."

JJ smiles. "True. But I still hate I couldn't be with you."

"I know, sweetheart. I know." After a couple more minutes, Emily pulls away. "I guess I need to get to my desk."

JJ nods. "Yeah."

Emily starts to go then stops. "Wait! I'm an ass. Your test results?"

JJ smiles. "Passed with flying colors. One down, two to go."

Emily pulls her close and gives her a kiss, security cameras be damned. "I knew you could do it. I'm proud of you, Jennifer."

"Well, I had good teachers. I've learned from watching all of you over the years. It really helped," she admits.

"I'm sure it did. I'm glad we could help."

With one last kiss, Emily heads out to get started on her case files. Morgan sees her and raises an eyebrow. She grins and nods. He smiles back and goes back to work. She drops into her chair and settles in for what should be a calm Wednesday at the BAU.

* * *

Thursday morning JJ walks into the bullpen.

"Morgan, have you heard from Hotch?"

Morgan shakes his head. "Not since he left last night. He sure wasn't looking forward to a 3 hour drive with Straus."

She frowns. "So they _did_leave last night as planned?"

Morgan nods. "Yeah. They left about 5:30. They had a breakfast this morning and their presentation was the first one of the day."

"Well, I just got a call from the conference director who is pretty pissed they didn't show and didn't bother to call."

By now Prentiss and Reid are listening, worry etched on their faces.

Morgan stands. "Not good. Get Garcia to track their phones and the GPS in whichever car they took. I'll give a call to the state police to see if they know anything."

"Right." JJ hurries out to get Garcia searching.

Morgan sits down to call a contact he has with the Virginia State Police. Emily moves to stand beside Reid's desk, wanting to hear Morgan's side of the conversation. She looks down at the genius.

"Reid, give Rossi a call. He's should be on his way down there. Let him know what's going on and tell him to watch for…well, anything, I guess."

Reid nods and dials Rossi's number. He frowns as it goes straight to voicemail. "Hey, Rossi, it's Reid. Call me back as soon as you can. Hotch and Straus didn't make it to Mountain Lake and we're not sure why. Thanks."

He looks up at Emily. "He might have been in a dead zone, right?"

Emily just shrugs. "Maybe." But her gut tells her something is wrong. Three FBI agents missing is probably more than a coincidence.

Her musings are interrupted by Garcia rushing into the bullpen. Her face is a mask of panic. "Their phones have been off since about 7:30 last night and the GPS on their car died around the same time."

"Died? How does a GPS die?" Emily presses.

"Either the battery died or it was turned off," Garcia explains.

"Okay. Get back to your office and see if you can find Rossi's phone. Also get us the coordinates of the last known location for Hotch and Straus."

"Right!" Garcia turns and hurries off.

At that moment Morgan hangs up the phone. "State police have no record of an accident. They're contacting the locals along the route Hotch would have taken to see if they have anything. My buddy'll call me as soon as they know anything."

"Reid tried calling Rossi but it went to voicemail. Garcia's tracing him now."

Morgan nods. As one the trio moves towards the analysts' office. As they enter they hear her talking to her computers.

"No, no, no. You better tell me something better than that. That makes no sense and I just won't stand for it. Ooo, you brat, that's what you're going to tell me anyway. No cookies for you!"

Morgan can't help but chuckle at the dynamic woman. "Baby Girl, what do you have?"

She doesn't turn from her system, just keeps typing away, hoping for a better answer. "Rossi's phone and GPS are also offline. And, scarily enough, it happened right around the same place as those of Hotch and Straus."

"Okay. Send the coordinates to my phone and Emily's. Let's grab JJ and a couple vehicles and head that way. It may be nothing but better to be safe than sorry."

Emily nods and heads for JJ's office as Reid goes to get keys to two SUV's. Morgan looks at Garcia.

"Garcia, I want you to keep our phones and GPS on your systems. If they so much as flicker, call us. I'm going to stagger our leaving by half an hour. That way if something happens to one it won't happen to both."

Garcia nods. "Got it. Let me know which Tahoe's you take and I'll add their GPS to my tracking system." She steps closer. "Derek…they're okay, right?"

Morgan sighs. "I don't know, Baby Girl. But keep a positive thought, okay?"

She nods. "Okay. Be safe."

He smiles at her. "Always."

Morgan and Emily leave first. JJ and Reid pace impatiently until the half hour is up. As they drive, Reid looks at JJ.

"Do you think it's an attack against us?"

JJ shrugs. "Maybe. Or it could be just an accident. Maybe they hit black ice or something? I mean, it was in the Blue Ridge."

"Could be."

The two look at each other and say simultaneously. "Doubt it."

JJ just sighs. She calls Francesca and warns her she and Emily may be late. As she hangs up, she stares out the window, her mind obviously on more than just the case at hand.

"JJ? You okay? You seemed worried this morning. Is Emily…sick or something?"

JJ shakes her head. "No. She's fine. She…Spence, swear you won't say a word to anyone. Only Hotch knows and he only knows because he has to know."

Reid frowns. "Okay. I swear."

JJ smiles. "Emily went to get her eggs harvested this morning. She's going to try to have a baby." Her smile broadens. "Our baby."

Reid grins. "Really? That's great! Is that what all the studying has been about?"

JJ looks at him. "How did you know?"

"I saw you two at lunch the other day. I was going to join you but realized you were studying. Since you were studying profiling and she was studying about being a liaison I wondered if something was up."

"And you didn't say anything?" she says wondrously.

Reid shrugs. "I knew you'd tell me when you wanted or needed to."

She reaches over and takes his hand. "Thanks."

"So, um, who is…I mean how is…I mean…"

JJ grins. "Well, we were in the middle of discussing that when we got an offer we couldn't refuse. Mark said he would donate."

Reid is stunned. "Really?"

JJ nods. "Yeah. That way Henry will have blood relation to his siblings. Mark's going to sign over parental rights to Emily and me so he'll just be the uncle." She pauses. "Are we crazy?"

Reid shakes his head. "Of course not. It's a good idea. I would have been worried if you'd gone the anonymous donor route. I like that my nieces and nephews will know their family history."

"Me, too. That was another big selling point."

Before she can say more her phone rings. She answers quickly. "Yes, Em?" She listens…and pales. "Oh, my God. We'll be there soon." She hangs up. "Hit lights and sirens. They found both cars at the bottom of a ravine."

Reid swallows nervously as he turns on the emergency beacons and speeds up their SUV.


	3. Chapter 3

Hotch is struggling against the ropes binding him to a chair when the door to the room he's in opens. A man in a mask steps inside, amusement in his eyes.

"You won't get free. In another life I was a Boy Scout," he taunts. Hotch says nothing. "Ah, the strong silent type. Of course. No matter. You'll talk soon enough. I do have to say I was surprised, Agent Hotchner. Most men who lose their first wife go for a younger model the second time around. You went older." He taps his chin as if thinking. "I wonder what that would mean to a profiler? Mommy issues? Granny issues? So hard up you have to settle for an old broad? Tell me, Agent Hotchner, what would you say about an unsub, as you call them, who trades up in age?"

Hotch still says nothing. He recognizes the voice but can't put a name to it. He is studying the man's mannerisms and size, trying to find something in his memory to tell him who his captor is. The man starts to chuckle.

"You haven't figured it out yet, have you? Don't worry, before I'm done with you, you'll remember me."

He hits a switch on the wall and Hotch screams as electricity courses through the metal chair. After a second his captor flips the switch off. Chuckling, the man walks out of the room, locking the door behind him.

_"Son of a bitch,"_ Hotch thinks. _"Who the fuck is this guy and where the hell is Straus? How long have we been here? The conference should call JJ to find out where we are if we don't show. But where the hell did they take us? And how the hell will the team find us?"_

He closes his eyes, going over the trap he had literally driven right into.

* * *

**"Even you have to admit having two members of your team married will eventually cause problems," Erin Straus says.**

**"No, I don't. Chief, you have seen the things we have gone through over the years. We have known about the two of them since they got together. They have proven they always put the case before their relationship. They have never given us cause to worry. The team trusts them implicitly," Hotch states.**

**"But still, one day they are going to have an argument and—"**

**Hotch laughs. "You think they haven't? The first case we went on after JJ got back from maternity leave those two fought, Emily ended up staying with Morgan one night, and the next day the two of them worked together to talk a man out of killing a young girl. After that, they were still pissed at each other and barely acknowledged each other on the flight home. Their fight ended at the start of the job and got settled long after the job ended."**

**Straus stiffens in her seat. "I didn't know that."**

**"Trust me, if they have proven they couldn't handle the job and the relationship I would have pushed JJ to take the-FUCK!"**

**Hotch fights to control the vehicle after it runs over spike strips, blowing out 3 tires. He manages to keep the car from flipping as it ends up in a ditch. Straus grips the door handle and armrest so tight her hands are void of blood.**

**"What the hell?" she manages to mutter.**

**Before Hotch can answer, her window shatters and a gun is placed against her temple.**

**"One wrong move and she's dead. Turn the car off, Agent Hotchner. Slowly."**

**Hotch carefully reaches forward and turns off the car.**

**"Good boy. Now, get out, old woman."**

**"Old woman?" Straus says indignantly.**

**The man cocks the gun. "You got a problem with that?"**

**Straus swallows and carefully opens her door. The man drags her out. "Now, Agent Hotchner, your turn."**

**Hotch opens his door and steps out. One man holds a gun on him as the other frisks him then binds his hands behind his back with duct tape. His phone is smashed on the ground. The leader speaks.**

**"I hadn't planned on you having a guest, Agent Hotchner. How nice. She'll make this even more fun."**

**Hotch is pushed towards a van as one man gets into his car. Straus is also bound and pushed into the back of the van. Hotch can see she's terrified. Their captor gets in the passenger seat and smiles at him.**

**Hotch watches as one man tosses the spike strips into a box in the back of the van then gets in the driver's seat. The other man limps Hotch's car down the road and then gets out, pushing it off the side of the mountain. When he jumps in he locks the doors. Their captor chuckles.**

**"Relax, Agent Hotchner. You won't be dying…yet."**

**Hotch and Straus are then blindfolded as the van makes its way through the mountains to his current location.**

* * *

Hotch takes a deep breath and goes back to working on the ropes holding him. Maybe they were impossible to loosen, maybe not. But he sure as hell wasn't going to sit around just waiting for the next visit from the madman holding him hostage.

* * *

"…so I repeat, release us or face the wrath of the full Federal Bureau of Investigation. There is no chance that you will get out of this alive," Straus warns.

One man grabs the roll of duct tape and walks over to her. "Lady, shut the fuck up!"

He places as strip of tape across her mouth. Where Hotch had said nothing, Straus had talked virtually non-stop since Hotch was taken away the evening before. Their only respite had been when she had passed out for a little while. But the minute she woke up the yapping had started again.

Their boss walks in. "Rossi's on his way. Let's move."

Straus frowns. _"Rossi?" _she thinks. _"What did they want with Dave Rossi?"_

Dave is listening to an opera CD as he drives down I-29. He is not surprised when a slow moving farm truck pulls out in front of him. He cusses mildly when he realizes he can't change lanes due to a van coming up on his left. He taps the steering wheel waiting for his moment.

"Come on. Pass me already," he says impatiently as the van gets beside him and slows to match his speed.

A second too late he realizes it's a set up. A third vehicle gets close behind him. The three vehicles herd him towards the side of the road. To try to go around them, he'd risk driving off the side of the mountain. He pulls his gun as they come to a stop. But faced with three guns he knows it's foolish to try to fight his way out of this. He drops the gun and raises his hands. The rear gunman moves to the car and opens the door. Dave looks up at him.

"If you wanted an autograph all you had to do was ask," he says dryly.

The man drags him out of the car. Rossi sees they've parked in such a way that no one will see what is really happening if they happen by them. Had he gone I-81 they would not have been able to pull this off. His desire to drive a less trafficked road has helped them in their quest to capture him. He's kicking himself though his face betrays nothing.

The masked men bind him with duct tape and shove him into the van. One man gets in his car and follows the van. After a while, the van pulls over. A second later, the man driving Rossi's car gets in. He smiles.

"Landed right on Hotchner's car. No one will find them for weeks if ever," he brags.

"Perfect," the leader says. He smiles at Rossi. "Time to have some fun with you and Agent Hotchner."

"Yay for us," Dave mutters.


	4. Chapter 4

Emily and Morgan stare down at the ravine. Had a hunter not been taking advantage of a mild winter day to prepare his blind for turkey season they may never have found the cars.

Emily looks away. "What are the chances they both crashed in the exact same place?"

"Slim to none," Morgan answers.

A state trooper walks up to them. "No bodies in the vehicles."

"Thank God," Emily whispers.

"We still need to see them," Morgan tells him. "How do we get down there?"

"If you drive it's about 45 minutes to where you park and another 30 to hike to the cars. Or you rappel down."

Morgan shakes his head. "Uh, we'll drive."

"Morgan, we may not have time. I'll rappel down and let you know what I—"

"No way! Not after your doctor's appointment this morning!"

Emily's anger flares. "Don't make me regret confiding in you. Besides, it was extraction, not implantation."

"Fine. Then I say no because you don't know how."

Emily laughs. "Morgan, I lived in the Alps for 2 years. You think I never rappelled? You're crazy." She looks at the trooper. "Get me the gear."

He nods. "Yes, ma'am."

Emily turns and stares at Morgan. He finally shakes his head. "Fine. But if JJ gets pissed I'll have a witness that says I tried to stop you," he warns with a grin.

Emily smiles and nods. "I understand…you're scared of her. Smart man."

Derek laughs as Emily gets her combat boots out of her go bag and prepares to go down the mountain.

Five minutes later JJ and Reid pull up. They hop out of their vehicle and race over to Morgan.

"What happened?"

"We don't know yet. There are no bodies in the cars but Emily's on her way to get a look at them to see if there's anything that can help us."

"Is she riding with a state trooper?" JJ asks.

"Uh, not exactly," Morgan responds. He glances towards the edge of the ravine. JJ's eyes follow his. She pales.

"Oh, no fucking way!" She runs to the edge and sees Emily about halfway down to the cars. She steps away from the edge, her fingers tangled in her hair. "If she lives I'm going to kill her," she mutters as she paces back and forth.

A few minutes later, Emily's voice comes across the walkie talkie Morgan holds. "Signs of spike strips on Hotch's car. It couldn't have gotten far on just 1 tire. He and Straus were taken nearby. Rossie's car looks like it was just pushed over the edge. Only one tire is damaged but it looks like it was done in the fall."

"Emily, any signs of blood?"

"Not that…wait…shit…nope, not that I can see. But I just found what looks like Rossi's phone. It's smashed so Garcia will need to check it. I'm going to squeeze into Hotch's car to see if I can find his or Straus' phone."

"Be careful, Em."

"I will be."

Morgan turns to Reid and JJ. "Start walking north. Look for any signs of where Hotch's car might have been disabled."

They nod and start to walk up I-81.

With the help of a trooper that had rappelled down earlier, Emily pries the passenger door of Hotch's car open. She digs around on the floor and with the help of a flashlight finds Straus' phone. As she starts to back out she notices a picture wedged into the dashboard. She pulls it out: it's Jack. She tucks it into her shirt pocket to give to Hotch later. She works her way out of the car and stands.

"Morgan, I have Staus' phone. It's totaled. There's no sign of blood in the car. They were out before it went over."

"I figured as much. I've got Reid and JJ walking north to see if they can find where the strips took out the tires. Get up here and we'll figure out our next step."

"On my way," she acknowledges.

She walks over and looks up the steep incline. She had always loved rappelling…it was the ascent she hated with a passion. She attaches her safety harness to the rope and starts the slow, deliberate climb back up to the road.

By the time she reaches the top, Reid and JJ have found where Hotch's car went into the ditch. They've also found what's left of his phone.

Morgan stares at it. "So, Rossi and Straus have their phones left in the cars to be destroyed on impact. But Hotch's phone is deliberately smashed. Why?"

"More anger towards Hotch," Reid starts. "Maybe a call Hotch made is what has the unsub upset."

"Okay, but is it literally a phone call or a call he made in the line of duty?" JJ asks.

"And why Rossi? I think it's safe to assume Straus was an accident. But they took Rossi, too. Are they coming for all of us? Or is this about something that predates this team?" Morgan asks.

"I think we need to worry about both for now. And knowing that, we need to get in touch with agents that worked with both Hotch and Rossi. They should be warned," Reid states.

JJ nods. "I can have Garcia send me the info we have on those agents. I'll make the calls," she offers.

"Okay," Morgan says. "Problem is, what the hell do we do in the meantime? We need to start combing through their cases, finding anyone who just got out on parole or who died and might have vengeful family members. I hate to leave this area but everything we need is at Quantico."

The others reluctantly agree. They know if they get a solid lead they can always call for a chopper but it still feels wrong to be leaving the area without the missing agents. As they head to the vehicles, JJ looks at Emily.

"Prentiss, you're with me. Time for you to learn first hand about making calls that really suck to make."

Emily nods, knowing there is more to their ride than just that. "Whatever you say, Agent Jareau."

Morgan gives Emily a look that tells her 'good luck' and heads back to his SUV with Reid. Once inside their vehicle, JJ glares at Emily.

"Rappelling? Really?"

"Jen, we had to get a look at those cars. It would have been over an hour to drive down there and hike in. Besides, it's something I enjoy doing so it was no big deal," Emily finishes.

JJ stares at her a minute, then chuckles. "Em, don't take this the wrong way but you _do_ know when you get pregnant you'll have 9 months of no Wonder Woman feats, right?"

Emily grins. "Then you'll just have to take my place, Supergirl."

JJ chuckles. "Uh, rappelling? Nope, not gonna happen. We'll just dangle Reid down there."

Emily laughs. They had needed the moment of lighthearted banter to help them clear their heads. Now, as Emily drives, JJ makes the call to Garcia to get emailed the numbers of previous members of the BAU team.


	5. Chapter 5

"Yes, ma'am. I'm very sorry for your loss. Yes, I will let Agent Hotchner know. Thank you, ma'am."

Emily hangs up and stares out the windshield of the SUV. She had called 5 former members of the BAU team to warn them to be vigilant. The last one had thrown her as his widow answered the phone…the day after his funeral.

"Em, you okay?" JJ asks.

Emily slowly nods. "She was…is devastated. She sounds so alone." Emily reaches over and takes JJ's hand. "I can't imagine what that would feel like. Promise me you'll let me die first."

JJ shoots a glance at Emily. "Are you sure you're not doing the hormones?"

Emily manages a chuckle. "No, I'm not on homones. But I'm scared, Jen. I've never been so scared in my life."

"Everything will be okay, Emily. We'll continue calling former BAU members to warn them while Morgan, Reid and Garcia start to pour over the recent parolee and recent death files. And once we're done with our files, we'll help them. We'll figure out who has Hotch and Rossi. We'll get them back."

"I'm not talking about the case, Jen. I'm talking about personally. Our lives are so chaotic. And now we're bringing another child into the mix. What if something happens to one of us?"

JJ shakes her head. "Emily, what if nothing happens to either of us? Do we not live our lives because of what could maybe possibly happen? Baby, if you are having doubts about having a child, it's okay. We don't have to rush anything."

Emily sighs. "I…I know." She shakes her head. "Hell…maybe I _am_ on hormones and don't even know it."

JJ grins. "Maybe. Or maybe you're tired, scared, and hoping I'll forget you jumped over a cliff today."

Emily finally smiles. "No chance of that, is there?"

"Not even a little chance, lady," JJ warns her with a smile.

Emily takes a steadying breath. She scrolls to the next name on JJ's list. "Oh. I didn't know we had his info. I hope it's right." She dials. After two rings she hears a familiar voice.

"Gideon."

"Gideon, it's Emily Prentiss."

There is a long pause. "Is Spencer okay?"

"He's fine. But Hotch, Rossi and Straus are missing. It looks bad, Gideon. We're not sure if it's geared towards just them or to one of the various BAU teams they worked on. We're pretty sure Straus is an incidental victim. We're putting out a warning for everyone to be careful until we know more."

"Good idea," Gideon tells her. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I'm…not far away."

"Oh." She swallows. "Gideon…Jason, if you're close enough to visit him it wouldn't hurt. I think you'll be impressed by the man he's become."

Gideon smiles. "I already am. Thanks for the heads up." He ends the call.

Emily stares at the phone and shakes her head. Reid and she had spent a lot of time talking about the father figures in their life. She knows Gideon was more a father to Reid than his real father. Reid still hurt from Gideon's abrupt departure, note or no note. Emily prays that some day the two men will reconnect if only so her buddy would not look so pained anytime something reminded him of his mentor.

By the time they arrive at Quantico, Emily has called and either spoken with or left messages for all profilers who had worked with both Rossi and Hotch. They meet up with the rest of the team in the conference room to start pouring over all the info Garcia had compiled.

Morgan looks at them. "Reid, JJ, concentrate of the families of those who died. There should be notes on whether or not they made a threat against the agents. Garcia, Prentiss, we'll pour over the parolees. Again, watch for those that made threats."

As they get started, Emily eases up beside JJ. "Jen, time how long you go over these profiles," she whispers.

"What? Why?"

"Practical time," Emily explains.

JJ slowly nods, realizing she can put this time towards the required practical application time she has to put in for her courses. She would just need Morgan to sign off on it. "Thanks, Em."

Emily nods and heads back to the pile she had grabbed for herself. They have not been working long when JJ's phone rings. "Jareau."

"Agent Jareau, I have a message for you."

She frowns, not recognizing the voice. "Okay, and the message is what, exactly?" She nods at Garcia, who grabs her laptop and starts tracing the call. JJ puts the call on speaker phone.

"You got lucky today in finding their cars. Stop your investigation now…or you won't get so lucky when it comes to finding their bodies."

She swallows. "Are you saying they are already dead?"

The man chuckles. "I'm saying nothing of the sort. Don't get me wrong, they will be eventually. And when that time comes to pass we will let you have their bodies if you stop your investigation now."

JJ looks at Morgan, a question in her eyes. He nods. "You know we can't do that," she replies.

"Then let this be a warning to you about how serious I am."

JJ jumps as she hears Hotch scream in pain. Then the call is disconnected. 'Oh, my God," she whispers.

Around the table, everyone looks stunned. As one they look at Garcia.

"Sorry. It was a disposable. And it wasn't long enough to triangulate."

Reid rubs his forehead. "Did…did you all hear the sound of electricity?"

Morgan nods. "Yeah. Just as Hotch screamed."

"Oh my God," Garcia exclaims shakily.

Emily taps the folders in front of her. "This guy is awfully sure he won't be found. He has to know the area, know Virginia, pretty well."

"He could have partners," Reid points out.

"No way. I mean, I'm sure he does have help but they wouldn't be partners. Partners wouldn't let him risk calling us. But think about it: he knew when to move on all 3 agents to minimize being seen by other vehicles, he had what should have been a perfect dump site for the cars but for a quirk of fate, and he would want to know that wherever he holds them it would be hard to find but if it is found, he'd have to have a way to get out quickly," Emily explains.

"You think this guy is local," Morgan sees where she's going.

"Yes, I do," Emily nods.

"I have the Virginia pile," Reid says. "Here's half."

Emily takes them and starts to go over them, her theory in mind. They had been working about an hour when a voice startles them all.

"What do we have?"

They all look up as Jason Gideon walks into the conference room. Emily looks to Reid, who appears stunned. JJ reaches over and takes his hand. Emily swallows.

"Well, I for one seem to be having flashbacks," she says dryly.

Morgan grins at her as he stands and extends a hand to his old friend. "We have a lot of cases to think about. Any insight you can give us will be helpful."

JJ nods. "And we've had one call telling us to stop looking or we'll never recover the bodies. Between that threat and a couple other things we believe the unsub may be from the area but we're checking all over to be safe."

"Do you mind if an old dog offers a hand?" Gideon asks the team, though his eyes are on Reid, who is studying the file in front of him.

Garcia smiles. "The more the merrier."

Gideon nods and steps up to the table. He grasps the back of the chair beside Reid.

"Is this seat taken?"

Reid glances sideways but refuses to meet the eye of his mentor. "Doesn't appear to be."

Gideon slides into it. He starts to say something but stops himself. He just opens a folder and starts to review the convicts involved to figure out if they are a viable candidate for the crime. Emily glances at Reid. She sees JJ holding his hand and is glad he seems to be accepting the comfort offered.


	6. Chapter 6

Rossi is shoved into the same room as Hotch. The two men make eye contact but say nothing. Their masked captor chuckles as his two men start to bind Rossi to another metal chair. Hotch wants to warn his friend what's happening but doesn't. He knows the sociopath holding them wants that too much.

"Both so strong and silent," the madman says. "Can't say the same about the old broad. Had to duct tape her mouth to get her to shut up. Thought about cutting her tongue out but then I realized she could be helpful."

Once Rossi is bound, one man leaves. He comes back a few minutes later dragging Straus with him. Hotch and Rossi both stiffen, their only show of concern. Straus looks terrified. The leader walks over and strokes a hand down the woman's cheek.

"She might have been a looker in her youth. But I bet she was just as yappy and annoying. Don't you think so, Agent Hotchner?"

The muscle in Hotch's jaw jumps but still he says nothing. Their captor grins…and backhands Straus, sending the woman to her knees.

"NO!" Rossi yells before he can stop himself.

Hotch and their captor both look at the man in surprise.

"You got a problem with me or Hotchner, deal with us. Leave her out of this, you coward!" Rossi demands.

The man slowly approaches Rossi. "You seem a little upset, Agent Rossi. A little too upset. Let's see…you're old, she's old…maybe it's you not Agent Hotchner dipping into the old broad's well." He smacks Straus again, this time studying Rossi's reaction. The older man doesn't flinch. He grins. "Better. Your lack of reaction confirms my theory. This will make things so much fun." He turns to his men. "Prepare her. We'll start our…_discussion_ with Rossi."

The other two men drag Straus out of the room. Their captor walks over to the wall switch. He smiles at Hotch. "Shall we show Agent Rossi what this does?"

Hotch just clenches his jaw tighter. The man smiles…and flips the switch, sending electricity coursing through Hotch, who can't stop the scream that rips from his throat. Rossi struggles against the ropes holding him.

"NO! STOP! NOW!"

The man turns off the volts. He grins. "What's the matter? Feeling left out? You'll get your fun soon enough, Agent Rossi."

The man leaves the room. Rossi looks at Hotch, who hangs limply in his seat, gasping for breath.

"Aaron, hang on. We'll figure out a way out of this. I'm sure the team's looking for us by now. We just need to hang on long enough for them to find us," Rossi says encouragingly.

Hotch slowly sits up, his head dropping against the chair back. "Dave…who is he? He targeted us. Straus was an accident. Who is he?"

Rossi shakes his head. "I don't know. He seems…familiar. But not someone from a recent case."

Hotch nods. "Agreed. But who the fuck is he? And where did he take Straus?"

"I have a bad feeling I'll find out the answer to your second question soon. If I figure out the answer to the first, I'll let you know," Rossi promises.

They start to compare notes on their captors, profiling what they can, looking for a chink in the man's armor. When the door opens about 30 minutes later, the man immediately flips the switch sending electricity coursing through Hotch.

"Do anything stupid, Agent Rossi, and we'll leave Agent Hotchner frying. Cooperate, and he'll be turned off."

Rossi just nods. He is cut free and dragged from the room. Hotch can't even scream anymore; the pain is too intense. A few minute later one of the men comes back and nods to the leader. The man smiles and turns off the charge. Hotch collapses forward, his bonds the only thing keeping him upright.

"Hmm…passed out. Pity. He may not hear Agent Rossi's screams," the man notes as he and his henchman head down to play with Rossi and Straus.

* * *

Straus had seen the cuffs suspended from the two chains hanging from the ceiling. She had struggled but the men were stronger than her. Soon her wrists are cuffed up above her head. One man steps close and rips the duct tape from her mouth. Before she can speak he places a knife at her throat.

"One word…and I'll cut your fucking tongue out, bitch."

Wisely, she stays silent. When Rossi is brought in he can only stare helplessly at the section chief as he is forced into a chair across from her. His wrists and ankles are duct taped to the chair. When his captor enters, he slowly circles first Rossi and then Straus.

"I need some answers, Agent Rossi. I need to know all the times you've been wrong."

Rossi frowns. "Wrong? Wrong about what?"

His captor shakes his head. "Not what I was looking to hear, Agent Rossi."

He nods to one of his men who zaps Straus with a cattle prod. The woman screams and Rossi strains against his bonds.

"I'll ask again, Agent Rossi. When were you wrong?"

Rossi shakes his head, trying to understand what the man needs. "I…I once thought we were dealing with an unsub who showed remorse. He didn't. Is that what you mean? I once listened to a psychic and we searched the wrong place for a kid until it was too late. I…I've been wrong a lot. Too many times to remember every one of them."

"It's a start. But when were you wrong and someone got convicted?"

Rossi searches his memory. "I…oh, God…I swear I don't know."

The man grins cruelly. "Wrong. Answer."

Rossi winces as Straus is zapped 5 times with the cattle prod. Her screams add to his pain.

"STOP! Please, I swear I don't know what you mean," he insists.

"Maybe you just need time to think about it. I'm a reasonable man. I'll give you that time." He turns to his men. "Raise her up!"

A button is pushed and Straus screams again as she is raised up by her wrists. Rossi winces.

"NO! Do what you want to me but leave her out of this! She's not a profiler! She's just a fucking pencil pusher. She can't help you! Just stop hurting her," Rossi begs.

"Her pain ends when you and Hotchner admit your mistake. Think on it a bit, Agent Rossi. I'll be back."

He and his men leave the room. Rossi looks at Straus who is crying from the pain she is enduring.

"Erin…I am so sorry," Rossi whispers to her.

The woman doesn't even acknowledge him. Straus had never been a field agent, never so much as taken a punch from an irate suspect. The worst injury of her career was a paper cut. Her mind is shutting down, trying to find a place where the pain will finally cease.

* * *

Samuel Rush pulls off his mask. They will die before he is done so they'll never be able to identify him. He wears it only to drive the two agents insane trying to figure out who he is.

"Rush, what if the cops find us?" one man asks. "We need to kill these three and get the hell out of town."

Rush stares at the man. "Stan, they won't find us. They don't even know who they're looking for. We'll be just fine. Trust me."

Stan Wardlove glances over at Johnny Tambor, who just shrugs. With a sigh, Stan nods. "Okay, if you insist. What do you want us to do now?"

"Get some water. Let's wake Agent Hotchner."

"Uh, won't the water make things worse with the electricity?" Johnny asks.

Rush grins cruelly. "Yes…yes, it will."

Wardlove and Tambor exchange another look. Both are starting to think they made a mistake by agreeing to help out their old prison buddy, regardless of how much money he has promised to deliver them when it's all over. But since Rush scares the hell out of them, Johnny goes and gets a bucket of water.

Hotch sputters awake as the freezing water is thrown on him. He stares at the masked man in front of him.

"Time for your confession, Agent Hotchner. When did you make a mistake?"

"I've made plenty of mistakes," Hotch admits. "Where should I start?"

"Start with men you sent to prison who were INNOCENT!"

At the last word, he had flipped the switch once more. A scream rips out of Hotch as the water intensifies the electrical current. He is quickly shocked unconscious. Rush smiles at his foe, enjoying the torture he is putting the man through.

"Time to find a couple more agents to play with, Agent Hotchner."

Rush leaves the room. He had information on the travels of another agent that had been part of the team that had mistakenly sent him away for a crime he didn't commit.


	7. Chapter 7

Emily runs a hand down her face. They had been scanning files for 5 hours. Just as she thinks she needs a break, her phone rings.

"Prentiss," she answers.

"Agent Prentiss? You left a message on this phone for Agent Margot Albert."

Emily stands and moves out of the room. "Yes. Thank you for calling me back. Are you her husband?"

"No. I'm the man who has her and the other agents."

Emily freezes. "What?" She moves back to the room and throws her pen at Garcia. "What do you mean you have them?"

Garcia immediately starts tracing the call. The other agents in the room listen carefully.

"I don't think it's that difficult to understand, Agent Prentiss. I have them. Well, I have Rossi and Hotchner and that old lady. Agent Albert was supposed to come, too. But did you know she was in a wheelchair? MS. Nasty disease. I'm sure she'll really be thankful for this."

Emily jumps as she hears 3 gunshots ring out. Her face pales and she leans against the wall for support.

"Three shots center mass, Agent Prentiss. Isn't that how you all are trained?"

The man disconnects the call. Emily just stares into space. Morgan walks over and takes her arm.

"Emily?" he says gently.

"He, uh…he killed her. Margot Albert. He killed her."

She turns and walks out of the room. Morgan looks at JJ who nods and follows her wife.

At the table, Gideon sighs. "She was a good woman. She left the Bureau when her MS put her in a wheelchair last year." He looks up at Morgan. "We can further narrow down agents in possible danger and, with that, maybe narrow some of these searches down."

Morgan nods. He looks at Garcia. "Penelope, can you adjust the searches."

Garcia slowly nods. "Yeah…sure…of course."

Morgan nods and pulls out his phone to order crime scene techs to the home of the late Margot Albert. He looks at Reid.

"Reid, come with me to Albert's house. We need to see if anything was left behind." He looks at Gideon. "When JJ and Emily get back, tell them to continue going through the files for cases all 3 agents were involved with."

Gideon nods. As Reid stands to leave, Gideon looks up at him. "Good luck."

Reid stares at him a moment. "Thanks," he mutters as he follows Morgan out the door.

* * *

JJ had seen Emily go into the liaison's office. She follow the brunette inside and shuts the door.

"Em?"

Emily is pacing back and forth in agitation. She suddenly turns and punches the closet door.

"EMILY!" JJ leaps forward and grabs her as she draws back to punch once more. "Stop, baby. Hurting yourself will not bring her back."

"He killed her just to kill her, Jen. There was no fucking reason for that. And if he did that to her he'll do that to Hotch and Rossi and Straus. Fuck, and if he doesn't need Straus she's probably already dead or dying." She runs a hand through her hair. "I may hate the woman but she doesn't deserve to die at the whim of a psychopath."

"I know, Em. We all know. We'll find this guy. We just have to follow the evidence. Look, we know if he targeted Albert then she's part of the vendetta. We'll be able to narrow the search parameters for the BAU team he's targeting. We can—Shit," she mumbles as her phone rings. "Jareau."

"I told you to stop investigating, Agent Jareau. Did you obey?"

She takes a deep breath, switching to speaker phone so Emily can hear. "Release Hotchner, Rossi and Straus and we'll obey you."

"Tsk, tsk. I'll take that as a no. Pity…I guess I need to make demands clearer."

He hangs up. JJ stares at the phone. "He…he can't be in two places at once. Right?"

Emily nods. "Right. And it's definitely the same bastard that called me." Emily thinks moment. Her eyes get wide. "Oh, SHIT!" She pulls out her phone and calls Morgan. "Morgan, did you order crime techs to Albert's house?"

"Yes. Reid and I are on our—"

"No! The unsub just called again. I think he left a trap at Albert's house. Tell the techs not to enter until the bomb squad can clear the house."

"Shit. Okay. We'll be in touch when we know something," he tells her.

"Right." Emily hangs up and sighs. "This is fucked, Jen. Look, why don't you go home and—"

"Don't you even go there, Emily. You'll only piss me off."

Emily can't help but grin. "Sorry. I just figured this could be a long case. We all need to get some rest at some point."

"I'll nap on the couch. I'm not leaving here, Emily."

"Okay. Then rest for now. I'll check on Garcia and her searches. If she can, I'll make her rest on Hotch's couch. Gideon and I can keep going over the files for a while."

JJ stares at Emily a moment. "You want to speak to him alone, don't you?"

Emily looks away. "Reid hurts. He physically hurts because of Gideon. You're damn right I want to speak to the man alone."

JJ smiles and pulls Emily close. "You are amazing. With all that's going on you still want to make time to help Spence. That kind of loyalty is one of the reasons I love you so much."

Emily leans her forehead against her wife's. "I love you, too, Jen."

The two stand a moment, drawing strength from each other. With a final kiss, they split, Emily back to the conference room; JJ to her couch to get a couple hours downtime.


	8. Chapter 8

"_There is no pain. There is no fear. There is no despair. There is nothing. I am not hanging from my wrists. It's all just a dream. A nasty, horrible dream,"_ Straus tries to convince herself. But as she opens her eyes, she can't deny the truth of the situation.

Rossi sighs in relief when he sees Straus' eyes open. "Erin, hang…hold on. You know as well as I do the team will not rest until we are found."

Straus slowly focuses on Rossi. Her mouth is dry but she tries to speak anyway. "Be…glad…I…gone."

He shakes his head. "Never." He smiles at her. "Every good story deserves a good villain. You're ours, Erin. I'm an author. I know these things."

He is rewarded with a small smile. He tries not to stare at the woman's wrists, which are bleeding as the cuffs cut into them. He knows she's never been a field agent, which is why she looks broken already. If Rossi can't keep her thinking positively she will not make it to the rescue he _knows_ will come.

"Erin, think of this as the worst budget meeting you were ever in. You win, you survive, you have unlimited funds forever." He chuckles. "You could even lay off Hotch unless you were just looking to put a spring in your step by bugging the crap out of him."

Straus manages a weak giggle. "Good…dream."

Rossi nods. "Yes, it is. You just hang on to that dream, Erin. Rescue is coming. Hold on to that, too."

Straus just nods. She no longer has the strength to try to speak.

Rossi sighs. "_Come on, guys. You can find us. I know it. You can fucking find us,"_ Rossi sends the vibe out to his team, praying they are close to a break through.

* * *

"We are so fucking behind this damn case.," Morgan gripes as he paces outside Margot Albert's house.

Reid just nods. This is one of the times he's glad his mind works on so many levels at once. He can be worried for his teammates and even Straus; working to try to figure out what the team could be missing to free them. He can also think about Gideon. Sure, they had exchanged cards at Christmas and birthdays. But this is the first time he had seen the man in person since he disappeared.

"REID!"

Reid jumps as he realizes Morgan is talking to him. "Uh, sorry. What?"

Morgan stares at him a minute. His first instinct was to chew the agent out for losing concentration. But then he sees the storm behind his friend's eyes. He steps closer. "Look, I know it's thrown you for a loop that Gideon has shown up but, Reid, man, Hotch and Rossi need your head in the game. If you need me to, I'll send him away. We need you more than him."

Reid stares at Morgan a moment then slowly shakes his head. "No. We…we need all the help we can get. I'll deal with it later; after we rescue the others. But thanks."

"Okay. Then tell me, why would our unsub target us? There are police, prosecutors, judges, even jurors all of whom are more responsible for his sentencing than us. But what sets us apart from them, perhaps makes us most responsible is the profile."

Reid nods his head. "Right. So whoever it is blames us for his conviction or the conviction of his family member or friend. What's your point?"

Morgan thinks a moment, before shaking his head. "I don't think I have one at the moment. I'm just frustrated that we're not in that damn house yet."

Reid grimaces. "I think so far the only good lead is Emily's guess that the guy is from Virginia. And as I mentioned…that's a guess."

"But the guy calls to taunt Emily and calls JJ to tell her to stop the investigation. He's putting himself in the middle of it. He _wants_us to know him. Why? Hell, if he leaves us alone we have nothing to work with." Morgan leans against the SUV, thinking. "Maybe…maybe he wants to prove he's better than us. Not just those that took him down but all of the BAU. He has to boast to show his superiority," Morgan postulates.

"Classic narcissist. But then why kill Albert the way he did? Why do it while Emily is on the phone?"

"To get us here. He had no clue she'd figure the house would be booby-trapped by the call to JJ."

Reid frowns. "Gideon's old team," he mumbles.

Morgan stiffens. "What?"

"Gideon's old team went into a house and was blown up. If they find the same set up here, maybe this guy is pulling things from our whole history to hurt us with."

"If so, we're screwed. That's a lot of history and I don't think Hotch, Rossi and Straus can hold out for it all," Morgan points out.

"I know. But…what were our biggest fuck ups? Maybe that's where we start," Reid suggests. "You know: incorrect profiles causing more crimes, times agents or innocents were injured, any times our mistakes lead directly to any problems." He whips out his phone. "I have no idea how she'll do it but I'll see if Garcia can get that search going."

Morgan nods as he sees the bomb squad commander walking over. "Agent Morgan, you're damn lucky you didn't enter the house. He'd set a grenade to get its pin pulled by the door opening. The pineapple was in a box full of jars of gas. I'm not sure you would have made it out since it was in the same room as Albert's body."

"So we'd go to her and it would go off while we were in there. We may never even have known we pulled the pin."

"I believe so," the commander confirms.

Morgan shakes his head. "Fucking twisted. Is it clear now?"

The commander nods. "Yep. It's all yours and the techs."

"Thanks, man," Derek tells him. When Reid walks up, Morgan gives him the rundown of what was found. "We'd have been killed immediately," he finishes.

Reid shakes his head. "Then why call? Why give JJ a hint even?"

"He's testing us. He wants to know how smart we are…or rather how dumb."

Reid nods. "Okay. But it still doesn't quite make sense. Albert was dead so she couldn't say anything to us. Why blow us up?"

Morgan shrugs. "No idea. Yet. Let's go see if the scene gives us any clues. Otherwise we'll need to focus on your theory on past cases." The two agents head inside to start profiling the scene of the murder.

* * *

Emily and Gideon work on the files for about an hour. Finally Emily needs a break. She stands.

"Coffee?" she offers.

Gideon nods. "Sure. And then maybe you can tell me what's on your mind."

Emily moves to the coffee pot in the conference room and starts to mix her drink. She takes her time, getting her thoughts in order. When her mind is ready, she turns.

"His father left him with only a note. You knew that. And yet you did the same damn thing to him," she scolds, not needing to state she was talking about Reid. "He wants to forgive you but he can't. He's terrified you'll screw him over again. And I don't blame him. Maybe you're ashamed, maybe you're embarrassed, I really don't know. But damn it, Gideon, before you leave you had better answer any fucking questions he has and try to heal his heart. And if you can't do that, you better just disappear for good. I won't stand by and watch you torture him."

Gideon had removed his reading glasses. He studies Emily intently, impressed by her loyalty to Reid. "Prentiss, I wasn't sure I could face him because he would make me face myself. He'd have wanted me to face my problems and come back to the unit. I wasn't able to do that. I thought I was doing the right thing."

"Bullshit, Gideon. He deserved a chance to try to convince you to stay. And maybe you would have been surprised. Maybe he would have understood. You ditched him the way you did because you felt guilty. You were selfish. And it has hurt him every fucking day." She steps towards him. "So I'm going to say this once. I love Reid. He is the little brother I never had. And if you can't heal this wound you've given him, stay the hell out of his life."

Gideon stares at Emily. "You have no right to talk to me that way."

"Loving Reid gives me that right. You're the one that gave that right up," she counters.

Gideon twirls his reading glasses between two fingers. Finally he nods. "Okay."

"Okay you'll help him or okay you'll disappear for good?" Emily presses.

He puts his glasses back on and opens another file. "I'll let you know when I know."

Emily stares at him a moment. Finally she nods. "I'll hold you to that."


	9. Chapter 9

Hotch slowly opens his eyes. His entire body aches and his mind is clouded. He knows if he takes many more electrical shocks his body may suffer permanent damage. Of course, he doubts his captor cares which means there are surely more volts planned for him.

"_Who the hell is this guy? And where the fuck are Rossi and Straus? Maybe Dave talked his way out of this shit and left us behind." _As soon as the thought crosses his mind, Hotch cusses himself._ "Dumb ass. Don't fucking think that way. He wouldn't do that and you know it. You're letting this bastard get to you. Stop it, Hotchner. If Dave _does_ get out of here he'll be going for the cavalry. But most likely he's in as bad a shape as you. And Straus…that fucking pencil pusher better fight to stay alive. My team doesn't need to feel any guilt about her."_

He hears the door to his prison unlocking. He looks up as his masked captor walks in. "Hello, Agent Hotchner. I bring you bad news. Margot Albert died today. Lead poisoning." His grin tells Hotch the cause of the "lead poisoning". "How are you feeling? Any clue who I am yet?"

"Why don't…you take…your mask off…coward," Hotch forces out.

Rush laughs. "Because it's fun watching you squirm. You can't figure out who I am and I love that. Shows you all really are as blind as you seem. You're crap about profiles is a farce. They lead to mistakes, Agent Hotchner. And now it's time you paid for them."

He walks back out, not bothering to send any electricity through his prisoner. He didn't want Hotch's suffering to end too soon. Rush heads to the room holding Straus and Rossi. When he sees the condition Straus is in he looks at Johnny.

"Get her down. We're not done with her yet. Treat her wounds. Make her eat and drink. She'll need her strength later."

Rossi glares at the man. Rush smiles as Straus is dragged from the room. "I just let Agent Hotchner know your old buddy Margot Albert died. Bad case of lead poisoning."

"You mean you shot her, you fuck. Why? She was in a wheelchair! What could she have done to you?"

Rush shrugs. "Nothing. And that's why she had to die. We're not wheelchair accessible here. Shame, really. She might have been fun to play with." He walks over and starts to massage Rossi's shoulders. "Have you figured out why you're here yet?"

"You mean other than you're a sociopath?"

Rush jabs his fingers into the soft area between collar bone and neck. Rossi winces at the pain. "Not funny, Agent Rossi. I asked you a question. I want the respect of a real answer."

"Re—respect? Fuck you," Rossi mutters.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…not what I was looking for, Agent Rossi. Time to start your obedience lessons."

He walks over to wall and flip a switch. Electricity courses through Rossi. It is more painful than he'd imagined. Rush smiles, flipping the switch on and off several times. Rossi cusses in English and Italian until he finally welcomes the blackness of unconsciousness. Rush smiles and steps towards him.

"Time to go get another agent to play with. What surprise will I leave for your new team to find this time?" Rush whispers.

* * *

Emily hangs up after talking with Morgan. She looks at Gideon.

"Albert's house was set to blow up after the team entered. Sound familiar?"

Gideon sits back in his chair. "Too familiar. So is this about me?"

Emily shrugs. "No telling yet. You worked with all three of the agents targeted. It could be you or it could be that he just pulled something from your past since he couldn't get to you."

Gideon shakes his head. "No, he had to have planned that to have a bomb ready."

"It wasn't a bomb." Emily explains the grenade and gas set up. "He could have decided that after he found out you were here instead of your house in College Park. Or it could have been his plan all along. He may not have expected you to be here. He may have known about Albert and planned to kill her instead of take her. Setting up an explosion would just be a little extra salt in your wound."

Gideon nods. "Sounds more likely. So what is this guy? This seems more…personal than just revenge. That explosion nearly ended my career. The guilt of it destroyed me. This would have done the same."

"So maybe you're his main stressor. Problem is, until he makes another move we won't know," Emily runs a hand down her face. "This is fucked."

Garcia walks in, frustration on her face. "I finished the run Reid asked for. Well, as much as I could. It's not like people really document their mistakes, you know? We concentrate a lot on the wins, not the losses."

Gideon stands. "But the mistakes help us learn. So they have to be recorded somewhere."

"Yes, they are. The problem is they aren't in the main case files. And they are not coded for searches the way other key words are. It's not like I can type in 'gee we missed this one big time' and have a list of cases pop up. I need more info to pull what he needs. I'm sorry," she says shamefully.

Emily lays a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Garcia. You can only do so much if we can't narrow down the parameters." Emily paces a moment. Then she stops. "Garcia, what if you searched for instances where the wrong unsub was actually arrested? Surely there's a way to look that up."

Garcia thinks about it a minute. "I…I don't know. I'll try. And while I'm doing that why don't you get some sleep."

Emily shakes her head. "Not until Morgan and Reid get back. Then I'll lay down. I promise," she adds when Garcia raises an eyebrow at her.

Garcia nods. "Good. I'll be in my office."

Emily nods as she leaves. She turns to see Gideon smiling. "She's still the heart and soul of this unit, isn't she?"

Emily smiles and nods. "Yep. And JJ's still the Mom."

Gideon nods his head. "Yes, I can see that." He stares at Emily. "How come it works…you know, you and JJ?"

Emily grins and shrugs. "I have no idea. I do know we've had our ups and downs. At some point we all questioned the insanity of it. But it just does. And I know that if I had to choose the job or Jen it would be no contest."

Gideon smiles. "Good."

Before more can be said, Emily's phone rings. She recognizes the number as one she had called earlier. She looks at Gideon. "Call Garcia and tell her to trace this." She answers as Gideon grabs the phone in the center of the table, hoping Garcia's extension hasn't changed. "Prentiss."

"Good evening, Agent Prentiss. Or as it's after midnight, I should say good morning," Rush says to her.

"It'd be better if I knew where my friends are and if I knew why you are using Agent Rampone's phone," she tells him, also letting Gideon know another agent has been compromised.

The man on the other end of the line chuckles. "I can't tell you the first and I can imagine you can guess the second. Granted, he's not dead yet. But I promise you, Agent Prentiss, he'll soon wish he was."

He disconnects the call. Emily leaps towards the phone on the table and hits speaker. "Garcia? Tell me you have something!"

"Triangulating…GOT IT! It's on its way to your phone now."

"Good. I'll get Jen and we'll go. Call Morgan and Reid."

"Got it. Good luck and be careful."

"Always, Pen." Emily looks at Gideon. "We know another agent. Find the fucking connection, Gideon."

He nods. He had not seen the agent Emily had blossomed into. He is impressed. She storms out of the room. She pounds on JJ's office door before walking in. JJ looks at her in concern.

"What?"

"Bastard has Agent Rampone. Let's go. I'll fill you in on the way."

JJ nods and jumps up. She grabs her gun and her jacket, following Emily out to the SUV.

* * *

Morgan shakes his head. "He left nothing behind. He killed her and set us up to die. That's all this was about."

"That and keeping us busy," Reid points out. "Morgan, what if the only targets are really Rossi and Hotch and all this other is just shit to keep us from looking for them?"

"Could be," Morgan concedes. "But what do we do? Ignore this scene? We can't. And we have to keep…" he stops as he sees the call from JJ. "Yeah, Jayje?" He listens a minute then shakes his head. "Be careful. We'll head back to the office. Don't enter that house until you know for sure it's clear." He disconnects and looks at Reid. "Agent Rampone may have been killed or taken. Unsub has his phone."

Reid frowns. "That makes no sense, Morgan. Albert and Rampone didn't work at the BAU at the same time."

Morgan stares at him. "Are you sure?" Reid just raises an eyebrow. Morgan can't help but grin. "Of course you are. Dumb question. Look, let's get to Quantico. Garcia has a couple runs going. We'll see what she's come up with and then maybe catch some down time until the next break."

Reid reluctantly nods. Normally he wouldn't mind the suggestion. But going back to Quantico means seeing Gideon again. And he still wasn't sure he wanted to see his old mentor. When they arrive, he is glad that Gideon is taking a nap on Rossi's couch. Morgan sees the relief but says nothing.

After reviewing the few leads Gideon and Emily had sifted out of the piles, Morgan feels his eyes fighting to stay open. With a resigned sigh he heads to Hotch's office to lie down for a couple hours.

Reid also gives in to exhaustion and makes his way to JJ's office. As he lies down, he wonders what the resolution with Gideon will be. He is angry with himself for even being distracted by the arrival of his mentor but can't help it. The man was more a father to him than anyone. And both of Reid's "fathers" had screwed him. He has an uneasy relationship with his birth father. Did he even want to try for something with Gideon? Or was it all just too much to deal with? Maybe they solve the case and go back to cards at holidays. It would be easier…wouldn't it?


	10. Chapter 10

Emily and JJ pace impatiently. The bomb squad commander had insisted on robotic entry first. That had taken an hour. Then he sent in a tech, who had now been in the house for 45 minutes. When the man's radio crackles to life, the agents turn to him.

"No explosives to report, sir. House is clear for entry."

"Copy." The commander looks to the agents and nods.

"Thanks," Emily tells him. "We appreciate the assist."

JJ and Emily head inside the house. There is a turned over chair in the dining room, bills and a checkbook spread out on the table. JJ raises an eyebrow.

"Bills after midnight? Insomnia?" It was a common malady for FBI agents.

"Probably. Or maybe my warning earlier got him antsy and he was too keyed up tonight to sleep. Head upstairs and check out his room. See if anything jumps out at you. I'll check out down here," Emily orders.

JJ nods and heads to the second level of the house. Emily flips through the bills, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. She heads into the kitchen. She sees the coffee pot on.

"Couldn't sleep so you make coffee. Some things never change," she murmurs, knowing she's done the same thing.

She walks into the laundry room and flips on the light. The bulb explodes, raining gas and fire down at Emily. She screams and leaps out of the doorway. She feels her shirt on fire and drops to the ground, rolling to extinguish the flames that burn her arms, torso and face. By the time she is out, JJ has raced into the room, gun at the ready.

"EMILY!" She holsters her gun and grabs the moaning agent, dragging her out of the house as the fire starts to spread from the laundry room to the kitchen. Once outside, she pulls her phone and hits the auto dial for 9-1-1. "This is Agent Jennifer Jareau of the FBI. I need an ambulance and fire response to 382 West Potomac Road. We have an officer down. Repeat: OFFICER DOWN!"

She hangs up her phone and scans the street, her gun back in her hand. She wouldn't put it past the unsub to be waiting to ambush them.

"Take it easy, Emily. Help is on the way." Emily can only groan, the pain intense. "I know, baby. I know. Burns fucking suck. But help is on the way, baby. I swear."

"Li—light," Emily mumbles in agitation. "Light. Light…the light…"

"Shh, baby. Don't speak. Just hang on, baby," JJ says to her wife, trying to calm her.

JJ breathes a sigh of relief when she finally hears sirens approaching. She reluctantly turns Emily over to the EMT's as police and firefighters arrive. She tells them what she knows as the fire department attempts to save the house.

"So how did the fire start?" One officer asks.

"I have no fucking idea. I was upstairs. I heard her scream. By the time I got down there she had put the fire on herself out but the place was starting to burn. The fucking bomb squad cleared the house. They must have missed something!" She says with frustration.

The officer nods. "And where is the owner of the house?"

"Fuck if I know," she says before catching herself. She takes a steadying breath. "Sorry. He's disappeared, along with other agents. It's an ongoing investigation."

"I'm sorry," he says sympathetically.

JJ ignores him as she sees Emily getting loaded into the ambulance. JJ stops one of the EMT's. "She hates morphine. Not allergic to it, but she hates it."

She nods. "I'll let the doctors know. Burns don't look as bad as I've seen. They may be able to use something else."

JJ nods. "Good. Tell her…tell her I'll be there soon."

The EMT nods and gets in with Emily. JJ swallows her fear and anger as the ambulance doors are closed. She pulls out her cell phone and calls Morgan. She hears the sleep in his voice when he answers.

"Morgan," he mumbles.

"Emily is on her way to the hospital." She hears him sit up on what sounds like Hotch's couch. "I have no idea what happened but she got burned. Rampone's house is fully engulfed. Any evidence is gone."

"Son of a bitch!" Morgan hollers. "So now he has Rampone, too. What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know, Derek. All I know is I was upstairs and somehow Emily started a fire. The bomb squad cleared the house so it had to be something they weren't looking for or something they could overlook."

"Did Emily say anything?"

"Her body is in shock. All she kept saying was 'the light' and I guess that means the flame hurt her eyes." But suddenly a memory hits JJ. "Oh, FUCK! I know how the fire started! Do you remember that case back, God, right after Elle joined the unit? The college arsons?"

Morgan shrugs. "I think so."

"Morgan, there was one started when gas was put in a lightbulb."

Then it hits Morgan. "Right! And when the professor turned on the light it ignited!" Morgan squeezes his eyes shut. "God, it killed him. Emily got fucking lucky."

JJ nods. "I…I know. But Morgan, that case…the other two agents…even the bomb…there is only 2 connects to everything: Hotch and Gideon."

Morgan slowly nods. "And a connection between those two is Rossi. That son of a bitch wanted Gideon just as much as he wanted Hotch."

"But Emily's warnings to the previous agents sent Gideon to safety at Quantico. He's trying to draw him out. That's why he's taunting us. He wants Gideon out of the office and in the field."

"Not going to happen now," Morgan assures her. He thinks a moment. "You know, that arson case…we originally talked to a bunch of women named Karen about any exes they had. We looked at the wrong people."

JJ nods. "Yeah, and?"

"JJ, what if all the clues are pointing at cases where we made mistakes because we made a mistake that this unsub paid for?"

JJ's eyes widen. "Like he was wrongly convicted," she finishes. "I can see it."

"Me, too. Get to the hospital and check on Emily. I need to get Garcia to do another check."

"Right."

"And, Jayje? She'll be okay. She'll be mad as hell, but she'll be okay."

JJ smiles. "I know. Thanks."

* * *

**A/N: Arson refs 1x02 Compulsion**


	11. Chapter 11

By the time JJ arrives at the hospital, Emily's wounds have been treated and she is on an IV saline solution. JJ just shakes her head at her wife.

"I'm not going to be able to convince you to sit this out, am I?"

Emily, murder in her eyes, shakes her head. "Not fucking likely. That bastard made me mad when he took Rossi and Hotch. Now…now I'm furious. One former agent dead, another missing, and he nearly torched me. I want that fucker. I want him bad!"

JJ stares at the brunette agent. She hits the call button. When the nurse enters, JJ looks to her. "I need to speak with the doctor." The nurse nods and heads out. "Emily, if he says you can go, you can go. If he says you can't, you can't."

"DAMN IT, JEN!" Emily hollers. "Don't make me sit this out!"

JJ steps closer, her eyes ablaze. "Don't make me a widow, Prentiss. If going out there makes things worse for you I'll cuff you to this God damned bed. And if you don't like it, tough fucking shit!"

Emily stares into JJ's eyes. Under the anger she sees fear. An unsub is targeting members of the BAU. He had called to taunt Emily and now nearly killed her. Emily knows that any of them could be next on his hit list. Like Reid, she had noticed that Albert and Rampone had never worked together. Emily closes her eyes and relaxes onto the bed, thinking. When she speaks her voice is calmer.

"If…If I can't go into the field, I can at least go to Quantico and help with the files. We need all hands, Jen." Emily slowly opens her eyes, staring into icy blue ones.

JJ takes a deep breath but doesn't answer. She turns away, waiting for the doctor to arrive. For five long minutes there is silence in the room. Finally a young woman enters.

"Mrs. Prentiss?"

"Yes," JJ and Emily say simultaneously.

The doctor looks from one to the other and grins. "Ah. Cool. I'm Dr. Halverson. I understand you all have some questions for me?"

JJ steps between the doctor and Emily. "Yes. What's Agent Prentiss' condition?"

"Lucky as hell, as far as I can tell. Since it was winter she was wearing more clothes so the flames had more to fight through. And she kept her wits about her, doing the good old stop, drop and roll to extinguish what was on her. There are a second degree burns on the backs of her hands and on her cheek and neck. The rest are first degree. The IV is to counteract the natural shock her body went into to protect itself. We'll send her home with some burn salve and some pain pills."

"Won't need those," Emily insists. "Aleve is fine."

"Well, humor me and take them anyway," the doctor insists. "You may not think you need them now but as the burns heal the pain may increase. Keep the salve on them. That will help."

"Any restrictions?" JJ asks.

The doctor shrugs. "Not really. I mean, the burns on her hand may make them stiff but really she's pretty damn lucky. Should be near 100% once the IV is done."

JJ nods. "Okay. Thank you, Dr. Halverson."

"No problem. I'll have her paperwork ready so you all can go when she's done rehydrating."

She nods and heads out of the room. JJ slowly turns and looks at Emily. The blonde studies the brunette carefully. Emily just reaches out a hand.

"Jen, I'm okay," Emily says quietly.

JJ takes the hand and closes her eyes. Now that the official portion of the visit is done, the personal side can take over. A tear leaks out of one eyelid. "The last person died from that fucking trap. God, Em…too fucking close."

Emily frowns in confusion. "Last person. What do you mean? Rampone was in there?"

JJ shakes her head. She opens her eyes and uses her free hand to wipe away the tears tracking down her cheeks. "No. At least, not that I know of. The place was still burning when I left the scene to come check on you. But let me ask you, did the fire start when you turned the light on?"

Emily nods. "Yes. I turned it on, just planning to glance into the room, there was a pop and fire was raining down on me. God, Jen, it hurt so bad."

JJ nods. "I know, baby. I know." JJ quickly runs down what she believes was the inspiration for the attack.

Emily frowns again. "So…Gideon's the key," Emily figures out for herself. "He's the only common denominator here."

JJ gives her wife a small smile. "Okay, you've now proven you're okay."

Emily lifts JJ's hand and kisses it. "I love you, Jennifer. I'm sorry I scared you."

"I love you, too." JJ leans down and gives Emily a kiss. JJ laughs and Emily blushes as the heart monitor Emily is hooked up to goes ballistic. JJ strokes a hand down her wife's cheek. "I guess this means you haven't gotten bored with me."

Emily turns and kisses JJ's palm. "Never, baby. Never."

* * *

Rossi looks up as Agent Paul Rampone is dragged into his cell. Rush smiles.

"Oh good! You're awake. Say hi to old Pauly," he encourages.

Rossi and Rampone lock eyes. Both knowing not to say or do anything to feed the bastard's fantasy. Soon Rampone is trussed up the same way Straus had been.

"So, Agent Rossi, are you ready to admit the times you were wrong?"

Rossi sighs. "I've been wrong a lot. Hell, I've been married 3 times. My wives could probably give you a laundry list of times."

Rush slowly shakes his head. "Still not getting it, are you, Rossi?"

He grabs the cattle prod. Rossi's eyes widen, he looks to Rampone, who shakes his head.

"No! Wait! Not that!" Rampone begs. "You can't!"

Rossi struggles against the chair. "NO! He's got a—"

Before Rossi can say anything, Rush presses the prod to Rampone's chest. The man stiffens as his pacemaker reacts to the outside charge and literally blows his heart up. Rush stares at the man, who now hangs from the cuffs, dead.

"What the fuck," he mumbles, looking from the man to the prod and back again.

"He had a pacemaker, you stupid fuck!" Rossi growls.

Rush stares at the dead agent a moment before shrugging. "Oh, well. That wasn't much fun. Let's go see if the chick is ready for some more fun." He turns to his two men. "Get rid of the dead weight."

The men nod and move towards Rampone's body as Rush leaves. Rossi watches him go, then turns to the other two men.

"You'll get the death penalty, too, you know." He'd seen the doubt in the eyes of these two men. "You help me out of this shit and I'll make sure the prosecutors know. You don't help me, and you'll take your last breath in the gas chamber."

The two men exchange a look but continue to just deal with Rampone. As they leave one man glances back towards Rossi. He looks like he's about to say something but changes his mind. Even as the door closes, Rossi feels his first stirring of hope. At least one man was close to turning on the leader.

_"I just need to find a way to exploit that," _Rossi tells himself._ "How the hell do I get him alone?"_

* * *

Morgan and Reid hear Garcia's feet clicking rapidly down the hallway. They pray she finally has the break they need.

"I'VE GOT SOMETHING!" she says excitedly. "Samuel Rush, convicted of a series of murders in 1997. His conviction was overturned when new DNA evidence showed up, proving that another man had committed the crimes." She hands some print outs to Morgan who starts to read them.

Gideon stiffens. "I remember that case. DNA was in its infancy. The conviction was based on our profiles." He turns and looks at the board showing the abduction information as well as the traps that had been set. "I'll be damned. They all relate to old cases. Even the way Hotch and Rossi were taken. Son of a bitch…"

Reid walks up beside his mentor, also now seeing the connection. "And in all those instances we looked at the wrong person first or at least the profile was wrong."

Morgan nods. "That's what JJ and I suspected after Emily's near miss with the fire. I had Garcia run recently exonerated cases the BAU had a hand in." He lifts up the papers Garcia had handed him. "This guy's been in jail nearly 15 years if you count the time he was awaiting trial. Gideon, it was you who wrote the profile. Rossi testified on behalf of the BAU. Hotch had nothing to do with it. My guess is Hotch was taken to torture Rossi. But this guy wanted you and Rossi to pay for the time he's lost."

Gideon drops down into a chair, guilt etched on his features. Reid stares at his mentor, knowing this is the type of nightmare that made him leave the BAU. He walks over and lays a hand on his shoulder.

"We have to give our profiles with the information we have. Sometimes mistakes happen. I can't think of another time a conviction was based so much on the profile. This guy was the weird loner in his town. The police wanted him convicted, gave us the info needed to make our profile fit and then convicted him. We can't help that."

Gideon slowly looks up at Reid. "You know the case?"

Reid nods. "I just wish I'd thought of it sooner. Maybe Emily wouldn't have gotten hurt. I read this case when I was trying to figure out what we missed with Foyet. It stuck in my head then that the evidence was pretty light but that the profile was almost too perfect."

"So you think I screwed up? You think the old team was a bunch of fuck ups?" Gideon snarls.

"No, Gideon, I don't. I think hindsight is always 20-20. The police wanted this guy convicted and manipulated you all into giving the profile that achieved that aim. If anything, they are at fault. But all that really matters now is finding Rush." He looks to Garcia.

"Fear not, Boy Wonder, I have searches on Rush and the men he did time with as well as friends and relatives. Just so you know, he was a loner in and out of prison. It should make it easy to figure out who he would trust enough to help him. I'll be in my office awaiting the search results," she says as she heads for the door.

"Great work, Baby Girl," Morgan praises her.

Once again the team can only wait, praying for Garcia to pull a rabbit out of her CPU.


	12. Chapter 12

Straus hates the fact that she whines when the men come for her again. They drag her back to the room where Rossi is bound and again cuff her up. This time, they leave her so that her feet can touch the ground. It is almost a vicious tease as she barely has the strength to keep her feet under her.

Rossi glares at the men who string up the chief. "Does it make you feel tough to hurt a defenseless woman?" Neither man answers. "Why not untie me and make it a fair fight? Right now all you're doing is hurting someone who can't defend herself. Come on, tough guys, make it a fair fight!" he taunts.

When the men are done, one man leaves. The other one, the one Rossi thought was the weaker link, stays behind. The man looks in the hallway and then back at Rossi. "If they leave again, and I help you get the hell out of here, you'll help me with the cops?"

Rossi nods. "You have my word. Get the three of us out and I'll make sure they know you helped."

The man slowly nods. With a last glance at Straus he leaves the room. Rossi sits back in his seat. He gives Straus a confident smile.

"We'll be out of here soon. You'll see, Erin. Just hang on. Okay?"

A scream echoes through the building. Rossi winces. Hotch was being tortured again.

* * *

Rush steps into the room with Hotch. The man paces with agitation though he does his best to hide it from his eyes.

"Your old buddy Rampone died. Didn't know he had a pacemaker. It didn't work so good with my cattle prod. Oops!" he says with a giggle.

"Fucking asshole," Hotch says weakly.

"Not very nice, Agent Hotchner. Not nice at all." He steps closer. "Have you figured out who I am yet?"

Hotch stares into the man's eyes. This time he knows for sure. "I have no fucking clue who you are."

Rush leaps up and pulls off his mask. "Give the man a prize!" He laughs as he slowly circles Hotch. "Rossi and Gideon were the sinners. Their sin was vanity; believing in themselves over the evidence. Your tortured death was to be the nail in their hearts. Now…now, that bitch is the one hurting Rossi. And Gideon? He hides out at Quantico while you suffer. Think he cares? Doubt it. But when they find your body at the gates, he'll know it was all his fault." Rush pulls out a knife. "It will be carved on your chest."

Hotch glares at him. "You're a sociopath. They put you away. Why are you out?"

Rush backhands Hotch. "THEY MADE ME A SOCIOPATH!" He punches Hotch again. "I was innocent. Their profile was made to fit ME! They did it because the police wanted me convicted. They didn't give a damn about the truth and it cost me 15 years of my LIFE! Not to mention the cost my body paid!" He grabs Hotch by the hair and stares into his eyes. "Do you know what they do to men who murder young women? Maybe I should show you."

He grabs Hotch's crotch. The agent stiffens. Rush smiles.

"Oh, no…no they don't do that, Agent Hotchner." He brings the knife close to Hotch. "They do something much, much worse."

"NO!"

Rush turns and stares at Johnny Tambor. The man is shaking. "No, Rush. Don't do that. Geezus, don't do that, man."

Rush stands up and moves to Tambor. "You got a problem with me, Johnny?"

"No…Yes…just…just your methods. You mutilate him…down there…and they find his body they will add on time to the sentence. I'm just trying to protect you."

Rush stares into Tambor's eyes. He sees the doubt and fear. Rush smiles. "Protect me? No, I fear you want to betray me." He jams the knife into the man's chest. "Can't let that happen."

"NO!" Hotch screams. He looks and sees the other man is wide-eyed with fear. "He'll kill you next," Hotch warns him.

Rush spins and looks at Hotch. "SHUT UP!"

He flips the switch on the wall and let's the electricity course through Hotch, smiling as the man screams involuntarily.


	13. Chapter 13

Morgan stops pacing as Emily and JJ walk into the conference room. He sees the bandages on Emily's neck and hands. He immediately looks to JJ.

"She's cleared to work," JJ states.

Emily glares at Morgan. "You could have asked me, you know."

Morgan smiles. "Felt it was safer to ask JJ. She's a better shot."

Emily chuckles. "True."

Morgan walks over and gives her a hug. "Damn glad you're okay, Emily. I remember the man that…well…you know…"

Emily nods. "I know. So, I understand from JJ that you two came to the same conclusion Gideon and I did about this unsub."

"Yep. Garcia found him. Well, she found out who he is and now she's trying to find out where he is and who might be working with him."

"Good. So now we fucking wait. Chopper on standby?"

"You know it," Morgan states.

"Good."

The agents pace another 37 minutes…each watching the clock carefully. Finally they hear Garcia's heels clicking rapidly down the hall. She speeds into the room.

"You're not going to believe this! They're in Amherst, VA at the property of—"

"Deputy Fucking Anderson!" Emily blurts out.

Garcia stares at her. "Ouch. Thunder. Stolen. But yes. His house, not the farm where he kept his captives."

Emily looks at Morgan. "You all interviewed the wrong guy for 12 hours."

"Son of a BITCH!" Morgan says as he punches the table. "Let's go. JJ, call the helipad."

JJ nods and pulls her phone out. The team starts out the door. Gideon stands there. Morgan looks at him.

"You want in?"

Gideon slowly shakes his head. "Bring them home."

Emily looks from the older man to Reid. She takes Reid's hand. "Come on, Spencer," she says gently.

He starts to follow her out the door. He stops and turns back to Gideon. "Don't leave. We'll need a statement from you. We don't want to have to track you down."

Gideon sees the request for what it really is. He looks to Emily then back to Reid. He nods. "I'll be here."

Reid nods and follows the others to the helipad.

* * *

Rush shuts off the electricity. Hotch hangs limply on the chair. He slowly circles the man. "How much do you hate David Rossi and Jason Gideon right now?" He grabs Hotch's hair and raises the man's head. "How much do you wish them dead?"

Hotch swallows, trying to find his voice. "D…don't. Fre…friends."

Rush slams Hotch's head up into the chair back. "BULLSHIT! They did this to you! And in some ways, you did this to yourself. I read the trial transcripts of soooo many cases the BAU was in. You all like to accuse the wrong person, don't you. You live for it. Well, now you pay for it. You and Rossi and that bitch will pay for all of us that did time we didn't deserve to do. Whether it was 1 day or 15 fucking years, you'll pay for each of us."

He walks to the wall and hits the electricity once more. As he stands there, he hears a thump. He looks at Stan.

"Go see what that was. Make sure Rossi and the bitch are still where they are supposed to be."

Stan, terrified of the man he once called a friend, nods and heads to the other room. As he walks he hears a voice scream from behind him.

"FBI! FREEZE!"

Stan ignores the order and races into the room holding Straus and Rossi. He shuts the door and locks it, his eyes panicking. He runs to the window…and for the first time sees they have bars on them. Rossi grins.

"It's over. Give up and you'll be better off."

Stan is trying to figure out what to do when the door to the room is kicked in. He jumps forward and places a knife to Straus' throat. He stares down the two agents wearing FBI Kevlar vests. A gun shot from the next room startles them all. But Stan quickly recovers, though all three agents can see the panic set in.

"I'll kill her! I swear I will!"

Emily and Reid stare at the man. Reid moves so he stands in front of Rossi. Emily holsters her firearm and raises her hand calmly.

"Easy. No one has to get hurt."

Stan's eyes flick to Reid, whose revolver is trained on the man.

"Don't worry about him," Emily says. "I'm here to help end this. Now, put your knife down and everything will be okay."

Three shots ring out from next door. Stan jumps in fright.

"NO! No, me and this bitch are gonna walk out of here. You guys do anything and I'll kill her!"

Emily studies Straus. The woman is barely conscious. Emily makes a quick decision. "Look at her. She can barely move. And she's cuffed. How about you take me instead? I can walk out of here with you."

Stan stares at her a moment. He nods. "Lose your gun." Emily slowly takes it from her hip and lays it on the ground. "Good. You got cuffs?"

Emily swallows, thinking to herself. _"Of course…just like fucking last time."_Out loud she says. "Yes."

"Good. Put them on. Behind your back."

Emily slowly pulls her cuffs out of their holster and clips one around her wrist. She takes a gamble. "If I cuff in front I can drive us away from here. Around back you'll have to drive _and _keep us covered."

Stan considers what she says for a minute. "Okay. Do it that way. But do anything dumb and I'll cut her."

Emily nods. "Of course." She cuffs her wrists.

"Good. Kick your gun to me." Emily does. He drops down, using Straus for cover and picks it up. "Get over here."

Emily makes her way to him. He grabs her and spins her around, placing the gun at her temple.

"Let's go." He forces her out into the hallway.

* * *

Hotch hears Morgan yell. Relief pours into him. Rush had just stopped the electricity. Hearing his game nearly at an end, he starts it again. He didn't plan to get out alive. He steps behind Hotch, figuring this agent would join him in death.

Morgan kicks in the door. JJ races in and in a split second takes in what's happening. She fires…slicing the electrical cord in two and ending Hotch's suffering.

"NO!" Rush screams. That shot was not in his plans.

"Hands where we can see them," Morgan orders.

Rush smiles. "I don't think so."

He lifts the gun he had taken from Hotch…and Morgan puts three bullets in the man's chest. He then races to Hotch, holding the man up. Hotch looks into Morgan's eyes.

"I…knew…come…"

Morgan smiles. "Of course."

JJ had stepped out into the hall to check on the other room. Her voice startles Morgan.

"STOP! LET HER GO!"

Hotch mumbles. "Go…help…"

"Right. Hang in there, Hotch. This shit is over," Morgan promises.

Morgan steps out beside JJ, whose gun is trained down the hall. He sees the unsub holding Emily hostage and backing towards the rear stairwell.

"It's over, man. Rush is dead. Some other guy is dead. It's just you to take the fall. Let her go and you have a chance."

"No way! She and I walk out of here. I swear, I'll let her go later. I don't want to hurt anyone. Rush made me. I owed him. He made me do it."

As he gets closer to the steps Reid and Emily had come up, the brunette profiler makes a decision. She had seen the condition this man had helped put Straus in. He was not getting away.

JJ sees the look in Emily's eyes. She mumbles. "Oh, fuck."

Morgan is not sure what JJ means…until Emily throws herself backwards against her captor, sending them both crashing down the stairs.

Stan grunts as he hits the stairs. Emily bounces off of him and rolls over him, her cuffed hands reaching for the gun in his hands. The two struggle for the gun as they roll down the steps. Finally Stan hits the wall with a grunt. Emily gets control of the gun and rolls away from him. Stan shakes his head to clear it and starts towards Emily. A gun shot hits the wall beside his head. He looks up into eyes of blue steel.

"The next one's between your eyes," JJ promises him.

Stan slowly raises his hands. Morgan steps past JJ and cuffs the man. Once he is secured, JJ moves to Emily, pulling out her keys.

"I swear you better have a good explanation for this."

"Well…not really." Emily admits. "I was trying to save Straus."

JJ stops what she is doing and stares at her wife. "Are you serious?" Emily nods. "Oh. I'll let you know if that's good or not after I think on it a bit," she says with a smile. Emily grins. "Come on, old lady, let's get you up."

Emily starts to stand but collapses back down again. "Ow…ow…ow."

"Shit, do you need an ambulance?"

"I might. Not sure. Give me a second." Emily takes a couple of deep breaths. "Uh, yeah, probably. And, um, Jen?"

"Yeah, Em?"

"I'll take the pain pills this time."

JJ laughs and gives her wife a kiss. "Damn right you will."


	14. Chapter 14

Reid uncuffs Straus and gently lowers her to the ground. He cuts Rossi free of the chair. The older man demands to be taken to the room Hotch is in. Once there, Reid also cuts his boss free before returning to Straus.

"It's going to be okay, ma'am," he tells her. He keys his mike, reaching out to the police on standby. "Send in the EMT's. NOW! We need at least 3." He turns his attention back to Straus. "Help is on the way, ma'am. Just hang in there."

He pulls out his handkerchief and pocketknife. He quickly slices the piece of cloth in two and puts pressure on her wrists. The older lady moans, still not quite sure what's going on.

"Let…go…please…" Straus mumbles.

"Chief Straus, it's Spencer Reid. You're safe now. Can you hear me, ma'am? It's okay. You're safe. I promise you, you're safe." He keys his mike again. "Where the HELL are the MEDICS!" he shouts.

* * *

In the other room, Rossi cradles Hotch to him. He smiles at the man he had brought into the BAU and who had then brought him back. "I know I said you had an electric personality but I didn't mean it literally."

Hotch manages a smile. "Smart…ass…"

Rossi grins. "Always."

Soon the medics are pouring into both rooms and taking over care of Rossi, Hotch and Straus. Reid heads out to check on Emily. He finds her being checked over on the ground floor.

"JJ? How is she?" he asks.

JJ smiles. "She's okay. Threw herself and Wardlove down the damn stairs."

"Wardlove? Is he the other unsub?"

"Yep. The only survivor. He'll never see the light of day again. Good fucking riddance," she states. Reid just nods in agreement.

* * *

It is mid-afternoon on Saturday before the majority of the team returns to Quantico. Hotch and Straus were in the hospital at UVA. Rossi and Emily had been released to return with the team, though Rossi was planning to head back down to Charlottesville to be with Hotch and Straus. Morgan offered to go with him.

When Emily tried to say she'd go, JJ had simply looked at her. "You've got to be fucking kidding me, woman."

Emily quickly changed her mind, promising to see the others on Monday.

As the team exits the elevator on their floor, Gideon greets them. Reid stops and stares at the man. Gideon smiles.

"You expected me to be gone."

"Let's just say it wouldn't have surprised me," Reid tells him.

The others quickly leave the two of them alone. Gideon looks at his feet. "I'm damn proud of you, Spencer. And I'm sorry I haven't been around to tell you that."

"I'm used to being abandoned by the people I respect and love," Reid says, stabbing a verbal dagger into Gideon's heart.

Gideon nods. "I deserved that. I left you the note and I know it wasn't enough. Truth is…you scared me, Spencer. I knew if anyone could make me stay it would be you. And I couldn't stay. I still can't. My time here has passed. I don't have the heart for it any more. I can teach others to follow me…follow you. But I can't be you any more. I'm sorry."

Reid had been staring past his mentor. Now he finally looks him in the eye. "I needed you, Gideon. I needed your advice and your guidance. But I made it without you. And I will continue to make it without you. But I'd rather make it with you. I don't need a mentor anymore. I really don't need a father." Reid steps closer. "I'd really like to continue…as your friend. That's what I need from you: friendship."

Gideon studies the youngster. At some point Reid had become a man. And Gideon had cheated himself out of seeing that transformation. He extends his hand to Reid. "I'd like that, Spencer."

Reid smiles and takes the hand. "Thanks…Jason."

* * *

Emily had made the mistake of sitting down to pull her things together while JJ called Francesca. As they prepare to leave, Emily still sits at the table. JJ raises an eyebrow.

"You can't get up, can you?"

"Uh, that would be a no," Emily admits.

JJ and Morgan laugh as they help Emily to stand. Morgan offers to carry Emily to her car…which earns him a death glare that gets him giggling. When they get down to the Lexus, Emily smiles at JJ.

"So…want me to drive? We don't live far now."

JJ glares at her wife. "Give me the keys or you'll be able to tell me how long it takes to walk home from work."

Emily grins. "God, you are so sexy when you're pissed at me."

JJ chuckles in spite of her anger. "Get in the vehicle. You are _really_ pushing your luck."

When they get home, Francesca meets them at the door to the garage with Henry. He smiles and claps and waves to his mommies. JJ starts towards him but then realizes Emily has not gotten out of the Lexus. The blonde rolls her eyes.

"You can't get out, can you?"

"Uh, nope. Don't think so. Trying. Will let you know," Emily groans out.

Francesca hands Henry to JJ. "I've got her, cara. Take Henry. He's missed his mommies."

"Thanks, Francesca. We need to get her upstairs to a bath and then to bed. She's had a few bad injuries this weekend."

Francesca tsks at Emily. "Cara, what do you keep doing to yourself? Oh, cara! What are all the bandages?"

"Um, burns," Emily admits. "But they don't hurt as much as my back and head do from the fall down the stairs."

"Oh, Emily! Did you not try to catch yourself?"

JJ chuckles, waiting for Emily to explain. Emily glares at her then looks back at their nanny.

"Well, see I was handcuffed and trying to get my gun back from the bad guy."

Francesca stares at Emily a moment…then pops her upside the head. "Bad girl! You must stop these things that scare your wife! You are not too old to be turned over my knee, young lady!"

JJ busts out laughing. "Francesca, I love you so much."

Francesca smiles at JJ. "I love you, too, Jennifer. I say we leave her here for the night. Perhaps she will learn a lesson, yes?"

"Hey! I was just doing my job!" Emily whines.

Francesca sighs. "Well, if you insist. I will help you. But you best be careful, cara." She pats Emily's stomach. "When babies come you can no be doing these crazy things," she scolds her.

Emily nods. "I know. I swear, I know. This may be my last little adventure for a while." She looks beyond Francesca to JJ and Henry. "I swear, I'll take better care of myself."

JJ smiles and nods, accepting the promise. Emily leans on Francesca as she gets out of the vehicle. Twenty minutes later she moans in ecstasy as she slips into the Jacuzzi tub full of hot water. As she settles down, her left hand hits her bottle of SmartWater, knocking it into the tub.

"Shit," she mutters as she grabs for it.

This of course puts her second degree burns into the hot water. She winces as her hand starts to shoot with pain. She holds it up in the air, trying to will it to stop throbbing. She slides a bit lower in the tub…and her neck burns hit the warmth.

"God damn it!" she hollers as they now start to sting uncomfortably.

JJ hears her wife's yell and hurries into the bathroom. "Emily? Oh, baby, what's wrong?"

Emily is wracked with pain from the burns and from the jolts she's just given to her aching back. "Jen…get me out…please…" Emily begs.

JJ hurries over and helps Emily to stand up. She steadies her as she steps out of the tub and eases down onto the side of it.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

"Hot water…second degree burns. Then jumped. Back pain."

Emily's disjointed explanation makes JJ shake her head. "Oh, sweetheart. Hold on."

JJ grabs a towel and quickly dries off her wife. She runs into the bedroom and grabs the burn salve from her purse. She quickly redoctors Emily's burns, putting gauze on the second degree burns. She also had grabbed the pain pills Dr. Halverson had made Emily take after the fire. She holds the bottle up to Emily.

Emily sighs. "I hate that shit. But yeah…okay."

JJ grabs the bottle of water and offers it to Emily as the woman takes a pill from the bottle. Emily stares at it, hating the thought of taking it. JJ strokes a hand down her cheek.

"Sweetheart, you don't need to be in pain. Just take it. Maybe just the one today will be all you need."

Emily reluctantly takes it. JJ helps her to their bed and gets her tucked in. Emily takes her hand.

"Hold me until I fall asleep?"

JJ smiles. "Of course."

She climbs into bed and lets Emily get settled in the most comfortable position. JJ strokes a hand through her wife's hair.

"Emily, why did you offer yourself in place of Straus?"

Emily slowly looks up at JJ. "It was the right thing to do. She was hurt. Badly. She couldn't have walked out of there and he'd have killed her for it."

JJ smiles proudly and gives Emily a kiss. "I'm so fucking proud of you. And I can't wait for it to get into an official report that Straus owes her life to Emily Prentiss."

Emily chuckles sleepily. "Yeah…she's going to have a shit fit if she actually has to give me a commendation or something."

"You know it," JJ agrees.

It doesn't take long for the pain medicine to mix with Emily's exhaustion and send the agent off to dreamland. JJ keeps holding her for a while longer, thanking God that she was (mostly) okay and still around to be a mother to Henry…and to give birth to the next child in the Prentiss household.

"I love you so much, Emily," she whispers, leaning down to kiss her wife once more.


	15. Chapter 15

Monday morning the BAU team reports to work. Hotch and Straus are still in the hospital but everyone else gathers around the conference room table. Morgan leans forward.

"First of all, I have a message from Director Ryder complimenting this team on a job well done. He is having commendations written up for all of us." He can tell from the look on everyone's face it doesn't really mean much to anyone. "Secondly, Hotch should be out of the hospital today. If his morning check up goes well I'll be heading down there to pick him up." Cheers meet that news. "And lastly, Straus will be in the hospital at least until tomorrow, maybe longer. She was close to death. Her body had started to shut down and she wouldn't have made it if Wardlove had managed to take her as his ticket to freedom." He looks at Emily. "You'll get a special commendation for saving her."

Emily rolls her eyes. "Great. Dorothy got ruby slippers for squashing the wicked witch and I get a piece of paper for saving her evil sister."

Everyone chuckles at the comparison. "Also, Wardlove has not shut up. Turns out Rush used the Freedom of Information act to get as many trial transcripts as he could. Any time a defendant's lawyer pointed out initial errors in the profile, he made a note of the case. That's why these abductions and ambushes were like past cases. It's just all completely screwed up." Morgan waits a moment then continues. "Now, since I am temporarily in charge, I say get your reports on this damn thing turned in and get the heck out of Dodge. Working 48 plus hours straight tells me you've earned the day off."

Everyone agrees with that. But before the team breaks up, Emily and JJ exchange a look. JJ stands. "Uh, before you all go? Emily and I need to tell you all something. We've sort of been keeping a secret from you guys and, well, after the events of this weekend we know we need to be truthful because things are going to have to change a little."

Morgan glances at Emily, who smiles. Reid smiles proudly at JJ. Garcia and Rossi see the looks and get _very_ suspicious.

"You see, Emily was late to work the other day because she was taking a step towards our next child." Garcia's jaw drops. Rossi just grins. "And in the next few days she will be going through her first insemination."

Garcia squeals with delight. "YES! I'm going to be an aunty again! And I just may forgive you both for that fact that Derek and Reid both seem to know this is happening!"

JJ smiles. "Sorry, Pen. That's why we wanted to say something. Turns out Emily confided in Morgan and I talked to Reid. We didn't want word getting back to you or Rossi by accident."

Rossi looks at Emily. "You're being awfully quiet. Dare I ask why?"

"Two reasons: 1) I can't have coffee," Emily explains. "And B) I can't have painkillers. And I really fucking hurt right now."

Those around the table chuckle.

"Well, you know if you hadn't saved Straus you might have been okay, Em," Reid points out.

"You're right. I should have held out for the ruby slippers," Emily cracks.

Garcia leans across the table towards Emily. "So does this mean we'll have another little team member in about 9 months or so?"

Emily shakes her head. "Probably not. It usually doesn't take the first time. It's as if the body has to be convinced to have the baby. It will probably be a few months before I actually get pregnant. That should give JJ time to finish her profiler qualification. As of today, I am officially a media liaison."

Rossi's jaw hits the table. "You? But you hate the press more than me!"

Emily laughs. "You got that right. Hopefully JJ can still handle most of those chores. But on cases, I'll have to stay out of the fight and in the police station. That means going as the media liaison so the team doesn't have to break up. It's worth the frustration of dealing with reporters to keep us together. At least to me."

Rossi takes her hand and squeezes it. "To me too, kid."

Soon the meeting breaks up so everyone can get their reports in. Around 11 JJ walks up to Emily's desk.

"You ready to go home?"

"Definitely," Emily tells her. "I really want to give the Jacuzzi a try again. If I can keep my burns out of the water this time it might work for my back at least. Then it will just be my neck that's stiff."

"Well, come on then, Agent Gimpy. Let's get you home and well. You need to get knocked up and carry my baby."

Emily laughs. "Gee, you make it all sound so sexy, Jen."

JJ nods. "It's all that media training."

"Riiiight," Emily says with a chuckle.

"And maybe on the drive we can finalize the plans for Henry's first birthday. So far your ideas have been a bit over the top."

"Like what?" Emily asks indignantly.

"Oh, let's see…hot air balloon rides, a circus, a rock band playing, bounce houses…plural. Should I keep going?"

Emily blushes. "Um…guess not. Okay, we'll keep it tame…this year."

JJ just laughs at her wife. The two women say goodbye to Reid and head out for the day. Reid watches them go and makes a decision. He glances around but sees Rossi is up in his office. Since Morgan is already gone he pretty much has their area of the bullpen to himself. He picks up his phone and dials a number. After two rings his call is answered.

"Gideon? I have the afternoon off. How does lunch sound?" He smiles at the response. "Great. I'll meet you there at 1. See you later."

Reid hangs up the phone. Despite the bad that happened over the course of the investigation maybe, just maybe, something very, very good will come out of it.


End file.
